


Dreams of Absolution

by Black_SPD_Ranger



Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect Trilogy, Mortal Kombat - All Media Types, 파워레인저 다이노포스 브레이브 | Power Rangers Dino Force Brave
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Humor, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-12
Updated: 2019-07-12
Packaged: 2020-06-26 20:47:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19776121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Black_SPD_Ranger/pseuds/Black_SPD_Ranger
Summary: Aria must get through her nightmares and past memories to realize the precious gift of love she already has in her hands.  Unfortunately, the nightmares get worse in the midst of a wedding and a reunion of the crew of the Normandy.  Aria will get through it, if she can absolve herself of her past inaction and accept whom she loves.





	Dreams of Absolution

**Author's Note:**

> This art was done by the wonderful ESPART. I took the story and ran with it in my mind wanting to bring in characters that I loved and some that had touched Aria and Nyreen's lives. I added Kitana and Reginald from my other stories because I put them in my Mass Effect Head canon. Also Jack and Ori being Power Rangers is in my head canon as well so that was fun.

Omega, also known as the hell hole of the galaxy. It was the last place anyone wanted to be. It was the home to mercenaries, pirates, slave traders and thieves. Every species was represented there as some reverse Citadel. It was where the scum of the galaxy gathered to drink, watch strippers, and pretty much get away with anything. And the queen of Omega, her ruler, was an Asari named Aria T'Loak. She did nothing to discourage this kind of behavior as long as she got a cut of the intake. She watched over the station with her single rule, don't fuck with Aria. However, recent events unseated her from her throne and she had to look elsewhere for help in maintaining her rule. She worked with one of her hated enemies as well as a Systems Alliance Human Commander named Shepard. But now, that same hated enemy is the only one who is allowed to break the single rule on Omega. Her name was Nyreen Kandros, and she headed up a small mercenary organization of her own that works more to police and protect the citizens of Omega, the Talons.

Nyreen's mandibles flex in joy as she walked into Afterlife. She was by herself, but everyone there knew she was protected again by Aria, even if Aria didn't like to admit it. Aria watched from her office noticing a certain sway in Nyreen's hips. She turned back to look at the asari dancer in her private office and sighed to herself. This was not a thought she wanted to have right now. Being tied down to one turian while she could enjoy the asari dancers. Then again, Nyreen and Shepard had broken her.

Aria stood up and walked over to the geth Juggernaut standing near her door. She looked up at him and said, "Walk with me, Kagaku." The geth turned and followed as the asari dancer stopped dancing. She pouted a bit, being Aria's favorite dancer. She hated this domesticated side of Aria.

Aria and Kagaku started heading into the bar itself. Kagaku asked, "Why is your functioning poor, Aria-Queen?"

Aria smirked at the name the geth had given her. She shrugged and said, "My functioning is poor because I have been thinking a lot and cannot enjoy the dances."

Kagaku nodded. "Braytac-guard was worried about that Aria-Queen."

Aria sighed. "Of course he was," she said. "Look, Kagaku, I don't plan on talking about it. Yes, I know organics normally do, but sometimes they also like to keep it bottled up."

"Understood, Aria-Queen," the geth responded and followed her until she got to the bar and sat next Nyreen.

Nyreen was sipping a drink and asked, "And what brings you from your lofty tower down to mingle with us commoners?"

Aria sighed. "I saw you looking smug. I wanted to know if it was at my expense or not."

Nyreen chuckled. "And what if it was? What are you gonna do about it?"

Aria thumbed over her shoulder. "Maybe have Kagaku bend your mandibles," she responded.

Nyreen rolled her eyes. "Fine, it's not at your expense. I found a couple of contractors who owe you some heavy favors. I decided to cash in on them."

Aria growled. "And why would you do that?"

Nyreen turned to her and her mandibles flexed in a smile. "They can help get Omega, all of Omega, up and running for almost no fee. If we can get the generators we need to power the entire station, your operations run more smoothly and I can help more people down in the districts. Win-win."

Aria sighed and shook her head. "You get off on helping people, don't you?"

Nyreen nodded. "Yes. Yes I do." She flared her mandibles again in a smile. "And besides, it means you get off too."

Aria laughed at that. "Fine. But every time you're here, I can't enjoy the dances."

Nyreen rolled her eyes. "Oh and we can't have that now can we?" she asked sarcastically. "I've told you, Aria, you can enjoy the dancers all you want," her expression then turned dark, "but you better only come home to me. Got it?" Her voice was quiet, but her tone was stronge.

Aria gave her a look that said she understood, but that expression was reserved for only Nyreen since only Nyreen could interpret it. Everyone else would have thought she was pissed at them, but Nyreen knew her well and knew how to read those little expressions. Aria responed, "I'll see you tonight."

Nyreen nodded and got up from the bar after finishing her drink. She wanted to lay her forehead against Aria's but knew Aria hated PDA. So with that, she turned and headed out.

***

The Adjuncts were coming closer and closer to Nyreen. She had grabbed a belt of grenades and set one of them off. She also had put up a biotic barrier around herself and the creatures coming at her. Aria had run up just as she put up the barrier with Shepard behind her. Aria could see Nyreen's mandible's flex into what was akin to a turian smile. Their eyes met for what should have been their final time. The grenade had a beeping sound that matched the pounding in Aria's heart. She had Nyreen back in her life for only a short amount of time, but at that moment, it didn't feel like enough. Once the beeping stopped, so did Aria's heart as she watched the explosion in the bubble. 

The explosion had caused the biotic bubble to dissipate as Aria arrived, the smoke finally able to move leaving only a charred floor in its wake. Aria made it up to the edge of the charred metal quickly looking down as people ran away from the scene, citizens...denizens of Omega trying to scurry out of there.

Grief and anguish came from the pit of Aria's heart as she realized the only woman she really loved was gone and never coming back. Taken by that Cerberus BASTARD who had taken her home and livelihood. She was mad. Her biotics flared to life as she clenched her fists. She let out a loud, anguished scream.

***

Aria was still screaming, biotics flaring brightly, as she bolted up in her bed, the blanket covering her nakedness slipping off quickly.

Nyreen sat up quickly next to her, her own biotics lit up. She looked around and noticed there was no attack. She placed a gentle hand on Aria's shoulder and said, "Easy. Easy, Aria. It was just a bad dream."

Aria turned her head, hearing the gentle subvocals of the turian who shared her bed and her biotics seemed to die down. She turned away from Nyreen and shrugged off her hand. "I'm fine," she said a bit harshly.

Nyreen sighed as she brought her knees close to her chest. "Let me guess. It was from when Cerberus took over Omega."

Aria frowned. Her voice had a growl to it as she responded, "What part of I'm fine do you not understand?"

Nyreen chuckled then hummed a bit in the back of her throat. "Look, we went over this. I had timed everything just right. I blew a hole in the floor with my biotics just before the last beep. You couldn't see anything because of the Adjunct thingies in the way."

Aria lowered her head, sighing. "I remember. I remember you limping back into Afterlife after I killed the General. That felt so good."

Nyreen placed her talons on Aria's back and rubbed up and down gently. "And then Omega changed. Well... the Talons are protecting four districts while criminals still control the rest of Omega."

Aria looked over her shoulder at Nyreen and asked, "Does that include me?"

Nyreen let out a small chuckle from the back of her throat, hitting the right harmonics to make Aria's skin sing, as she said, "You're the Queen. You keep us from each other's throats. That's about it."

Aria laughed and then laid back down in the bed, Nyreen laying with her. "I'll take that. Just remember the first rule of Omega."

Nyreen laughed heartily at that, her mandibles flaring wildly. "I think we're a little too late on that one."

Aria laughed with her and curled up into the warm, yet scaly body next to her. She loved Nyreen. Nyreen was the only one able to really stand up to her without trying to take over. She cared more about people than politics. Aria breathed in her scent, noticing some of the smells of food vendors from the Gozu district. Just like Nyreen to make time for all the little people while Aria spent time with the big bosses of the galaxy.

As the two started to doze, Nyreen let out a little chuckle.

Aria moaned a bit as she asked, "What is it?"

Nyreen chuckled again. "Just thinking about those rumors you somehow started."

Aria sighed. "What rumors?"

Nyreen's mandibles flared wide. "About you and Tevos."

Aria groaned. "No. Don't go there. We are not talking about this."

Nyreen laughed. "I know I know. Just how did they start?"

Aria smiled. "Tevos and I go way back. Old friends. We thought about breaking the taboos of our people, but she was more pragmatic and decided against it. But we stayed friends throughout. Just because I have her on speed dial everyone thought we were sleeping together. I may be the Queen of Omega, but that doesn't mean I need to trade those kinds of favors for anything."

Nyreen laughed again and wrapped her arms around Aria as they both fell asleep. Aria's dreams were more pleasant now, thanks to that talk. She could dream of the future, including the immediate future now that Shepard was up and moving about.

***

Nyreen had woken up with the sound of her alarm. She had put on something light, a brown sports bra and black shorts, and then got back into bed. Aria had groaned at the loss of the warmth next to her. Nyreen chuckled a little deeply in the back of her throat before grabbing a datapad and sneaking back into bed. Aria immediately curled up on her left side, pulling herself close to Nyreen. Nyreen smiled to herself. Aria would never admit she was a cuddler, but Nyreen knew the truth. She liked having a warm body close to her in the morning.

Aria slept for another half hour before finally waking up. The first thing she noticed was that Nyreen was dressed in undergarments. The second thing she noticed was that she was reading a data pad. Aria grumbled and asked, "Why do you have to get up so early?"

Nyreen chuckled and said, "Simple, Aria. Being the leader of an organization that protects people means I need to catch up with the night's activities to make sure everyone is doing alright."

"Oh really?" Aria drawled. "Why do I feel like you're just trying to take over Omega?"

Nyreen laughed at that. "Well if I was, I'd keep the former Queen of Omega as my pet bitch," she said in a playful tone.

Aria groaned and rolled onto her back. "Ok I hate you," she replied, but her voice didn't have the bite of an actual threat.

Nyreen smiled and said, "You know you love me."

Aria folded her arms over her chest and said, "No. No I don't."

Nyreen shrugged. "Well that's fine then. I guess I won't take you with me."

Aria's brow twitched up over her left eye. She said in a threatening tone, "And what is that supposed to mean?"

Nyreen pulled up a specific letter and said, "I received an invitation from Major Kaidan Alenko and Operative Miranda Lawson. It's to their upcoming wedding."

Aria's eyes went wide. "What? Just you?"

Nyreen looked at the datapad again and replied, "Well I can bring a plus one."

Aria scrambled across Nyreen's lap, yanking the datapad out of her hand as she went. Nyreen laughed hard as she did so. Aria frowned as she read the information. "I don't believe this. How could they invite you and not me? After all I've done for their boss, Shepard."

Nyreen couldn't stop laughing. "Maybe... maybe...it was because I sent them... a human holiday... card a couple months... ago." She rolled over on her side laughing.

Aria groaned and threw the datapad away. She sat back on her side of the bed and folded her arms over her chest in a huff.

Nyreen finally got her giggles under control and sat up a bit, bringing her legs to her chest. "I didn't think you would be this upset. I thought everyone was beneath Aria T'Loak, the larger than life queen of Omega."

Aria huffed. "It's not the invite it's the principle," she said grumpily.

Nyreen sighed as she rolled over on the bed and sat on Aria's lap. She leaned her forehead against hers and smiled. "Maybe they thought you wouldn't come, but gave you an in by inviting me. I doubt it was an actual oversight, or they wouldn't have invited me," she said gently, almost from her sub-vocals so as to give Aria an even more comforting tone than normal.

Aria sighed finally and said, "Ok ok. When is it?"

Nyreen smiled. "In a couple weeks. If you want, you can get them a wedding gift and say it's from the both of us."

Aria shrugged. "I'd rather get him the asari dancer for his bachelor party. Which they are bringing to Omega, from your letter."

Nyreen laughed and said, "Doesn't mean he wants an asari dancer. If you want, I can take them to the Gozu District so as to not mess up your operations."

Aria shook her head. "I think I will watch over them myself. What about the bachelorette party?"

Nyreen nodded. "That's happening on the Citadel. I think I'm invited to attend. I wasn't paying attention."

Aria used her biotics to bring the datapad back. She read over the it again and said, "You are."

Nyreen's mandibles flexed flexed happily. "Good. Alright, I'll get my districts ready if they need to go there," she said happily.

Aria handed the datapad back to Nyreen and then started to get up. She stood there looking at the wall opposite her and said, "You mentioned keeping me as a pet, Nyreen. If you took over."

Nyreen looked at her rigid posture a bit concerned. She said, "I was just joking Aria."

Aria didn't move, her posture very stiff. "Is that how you see yourself, Nyreen? As just my pet?"

Nyreen slid out of bed and shook her head. She came up and wrapped her arms around Aria's middle, even if Aria seemed to tense up more. Nyreen rested her head against the top of Aria's and said, "No, Aria. I'm not sure how to define our relationship right now, but we're in a good place. You run Omega with an iron fist and I take care of the little people to make a better Omega. We work together to make Omega the best there is. Spirits, we're still trying to work our way back up to the love I felt for you when you first took me in. Back when I was a naive biotic who wanted to be accepted by someone."

Aria nodded and closed her eyes. She could never say this out loud, but she actually did love Nyreen. She loved her in a way she never had, even with Tevos. When she thought Nyreen had died, she was so angry. Angry with Nyreen for leaving her. Angry with Cerberus for taking Nyreen away from her. And angry with herself for never telling Nyreen how she really felt. She never stopped loving her, and now... now she knows Nyreen's true feelings. It was something she would have to discuss with someone, but she didn't know who. Maybe this bachelor party could help.

***

Aria had been right. It was Jack's idea to bring Kaidan to Omega for a lap dance. Jack showed up claiming that Kaidan would be her future brother-in-law, and nothing made her happier. This party was going to be one last blow out before Kaidan was to be married to Jack's wife's sister, so she figured he deserved to really live it up. Jack had brought with her to the party, Admiral Jennifer Shepard, Jacob Taylor, Lieutenant Commander James Vega, Staff Commander Ashley Williams, Doctor Liara T'Soni, Flight Lieutenant Jeff Moreau, Keiji Okuda, First Lieutenant (Aria thinks) Reginald Ranor, Urdnot Wrex, Garrus Vakarian, Kenneth Donnelly, Zaeed Masani and Urdnot Grunt to the party. Javik had declined because he felt it was a pointless waste of time.

Aria watched as one of the guards escorted them to the best table they had at Omega. She smiled to herself as they were surprised by not just one asari dancer, but two. After letting them drink and have fun for a little, she decided to walk down.

Once she arrived, Jack looked over at her and said loudly, "Hey Aria! Nice choice in dancers!"

Aria nodded to Jack then asked, "Is everyone enjoying themselves?"

Jen chuckled and said, "I think poor Kaidan is embarrassed."

Kaidan was blushing as one dancer moved up to him and danced before him.

Aria nodded and said, "Speaking of, I was surprised I had to learn about this through Nyreen."

Jack looked at her like she had lost her mind. "I didn't think you would go for this shit."

Aria took a drink from the waitress's tray and came to sit next to Jack. "Normally, no. But it's important to Nyreen so it's important to me."

Ash looked at Aria and smiled softly at her. "Didn't know you were so matronly."

Aria smiled back. "Watch your tongue or I'll have one of my men cut it off," she said with a hint of harshness to it. She took a sip of the drink in her hand, noticing the fruity flavor, then said, "But to be honest, I've never met anyone like her before. And... I don't know if I can see myself with anyone but her. It's quite... unnerving."

Vega kept watching but said, "So what are you gonna do about it, chica?"

Aria looked at him with a look of disdain. "Excuse me?" she asked harshly.

Garrus's mandible flexed slightly in a smile. "What he means is, are you planning on making your relationship more official?"

Aria's angry gaze never left Vega. She was quiet for a few more moments before she said, "I don't know. I don't even know if it's possible with her. And Okuda, I know you're recording tonight. If Nyreen finds out about this before I'm ready, I will skin you alive, let a vorcha wear your skin, before sending you back to the afterlife."

Keiji chuckled and held up his hands defensively. "I'm only here for the drunken antics afterwards," he said jokingly.

Aria nodded and said, "Then edit out any confessions."

Keiji nodded and smiled. "Will do."

Aria smiled and sat back on the couch near Jack.

Jack chuckled. "So are you gonna ask her to become your bondmate?"

Aria turned to look at her. "Where do I even begin with it?"

Liara lifted her drink and smiled. "If you love her, you should speak from the heart."

Aria rolled her eyes and sat back watching the dancers.

***

Nyreen smiled as the girls had gone shopping earlier with Miranda Lawson getting dresses for the wedding. Nyreen actually liked the group of friends that were with Miranda. Yeoman Kelly Shepard, Doctor Brynn Taylor, Janae Williams, Specialist Samantha T'Soni, EDI Moreau, Kasumi Okuda, Doctor Kitana Ranor, Urdnot Bakara, Gabriella Donnelly, Tali'Vakarian vas Normandy, Samara, Diana Allers and Doctor Karin Chakwas were in Miranda's inner circle. She knew the names she thought of them by weren't their correct names, but it fit who they were and who they were with.

Nyreen was actually surprised with these new friends she picked up. She had met some of them after they had survived the Suicide mission against the Collectors a couple years ago, but didn't get to really know them. Now, she hoped, was her chance. She was quite surprised at the diversity of the relationships, and smiled to herself.

Sam had moved up and asked, "What is it, Nyreen?"

Nyreen looked at her and said, "Oh, nothing. I was hoping to get to know you all better and the relationships you share."

Sam smiled and said, "That's a great idea. But I think we should do it when we stop for lunch."

Miranda, who was in the lead, chuckled. "Then why don't we stop for lunch early. I mean, how many of us know each other that well? Tali's been on the Normandy since the beginning and EDI has researched things more than any of us. So I think it's good for us to get to know each other."

Janae smiled. "Sounds great to me," she said. "I hardly know any of you outside of the Systems Alliance folks."

Kasumi giggled and said, "You can tell a lot about people by their underwear I always say."

Oriana rolled her eyes. "I can't believe you would do that, Kasumi."

Kitana chuckled. "I can."

The girls all laughed as they soon came to Apollo's Cafe. Finding the biggest table they could, the girls gathered around. A waiter came over and picked up their orders before heading off.

Nyreen was surprised Miranda had pulled her to sit beside her on one side, while her sister sat on the other. She said, "So you wish to know about our relationships, huh? I get the feeling you have a reason behind your thoughts."

Nyreen looked at her like she had lost her mind. "What makes you say that?"

Miranda smiled. "It's no secret, at least to us, that you're Aria's current main squeeze. I take it the relationship isn't going well?"

Nyreen sighed and said, "Actually we're doing alright."

Brynn smiled. "Just alright. Nothing more?"

Nyreen turned to her. "What does that mean?"

Sam smiled herself and said, "To be honest, none of us are sure how to handle a relationship with the Queen of Omega. She doesn't seem the type to stay faithful."

Nyreen closed her eyes and asked, "Are any asari?"

Sam and Janae took offense to that statement and said at the same time, "HEY!"

Nyreen looked down. "Sorry. Not what I meant. But I also don't expect an asari to stay celibate after their short life spanned love dies."

Samara nodded and said, "This is true. However, there are asari out there willing to stay with their chosen partner until the end of their lifespan. What is your relationship with Aria like?"

Nyreen held up her hands. "Whoa. Whoa. We're not here to discuss my relationship woes. I wanted to know about yours."

Kelly smiled and said, "Well mine is a little... unique. Jennifer talked with me a lot, got my opinion on many things, and I kinda liked it that she would be there for me. We flirted back and forth, and then, after the Collectors mission, I fell in her arms and she took me to bed. To be honest, I almost left because of some of the nightmares, but I also remembered how Joker and Reg rescued me. I fell and Jennifer's friends caught me which made me feel safe. So when she asked me to stay, I did. Now we're married and she's an Admiral."

Nyreen smiled hearing that.

Sam smiled at this. "My first crush was on EDI actually. She had a sexy voice and if she was real at the time I would have loved to have gotten to know her in every way possible. I didn't know she had a thing for Joker either. But then I met with the good Doctor T'Soni. Liara had a crush on the Commander at first, but she told me it was because of her connection to the Protheans. She fell for me for a different reason. We talked a lot and just... fell in love with each other. Nothing special. It was something that developed over time."

Oriana giggled. "Well mine was special. Jack... was Jack. She showed up out of nowhere one day and rescued me from some thugs along with her brother. I had a crush on her the minute she blasted the bad guys away. We spent time together and I learned that she dimension hopped and she could get me to meet my favorite fairy tale characters. Ok, I know it sounds bonkers, so I won't go into details, but I fell in love with her. I helped her get past her scars, but she had to get some of her tattoos. Anyways, we spent a lot of time together, and she fell in love with me right back. She did tell me she almost fell for one of the Blue Suns traps, trying to get her to Purgatory I guess, but thanks to listening to her brother, she didn't. A couple years after that she proposed and we were married. She can curse up a storm and get angry with the best of them, but she also has a kind and sensitive side that she'll show. That's why I love Jack."

Brynn shrugged. "There's not much to tell with me and Jacob. We met through a mutual friend and talked a lot. I think that talking is the key to any good relationship. Anyways, I asked for his help with scientists who wanted to leave Cerberus and he helped them. I realized what kind of man he was, one who wanted to protect people, and that made me fall in love with him."

Janae nodded. "Well Ash and my tale is an interesting one. We were actually on a similar mission. I went to Omega to rescue a daughter of an important matriarch and Ash went to rescue a human girl. Since our missions aligned, we teamed up. She was a fighter, and I was her pleasure girl/manager. We spent five weeks together talking, exploring each other, and doing our mission. At the end of it, she figured out a way for me to hide who I was and I found our quarry. Using Archangel, we got the girls out and kept in touch. When the war started, I was allowed to join the Normandy crew and Ash and I have been together every since. I never thought I'd find anyone after Cora said we should be just friends, but I'm glad I have Ash."

Nyreen looked at her. "What happened to Cora?"

Janae waved her hand dismissively. "She joined the Andromeda Initiative. She's in Cryo right now and probably won't awaken until they get to the Andromeda Galaxy. I hope she finds the love there that she couldn't with me."

Gabriella waved emphatically. "At least you didn't have to listen to the guy or girl you liked talk constantly about other women when you wanted him or her to notice you. God I swear Kenneth is so blind. No amount of talking helped his case either. It took a while, but when he finally noticed me, after I brow beat him a few too many times, he finally got the message and we started going together."

Bakara nodded under her hood. "To be honest, krogan mating is not that complex. We females look for the strongest male and get together. But I do like Wrex. He's a good leader and a good father. He cares about all people, despite his bluster. And he's been able to work with the other Clans to make sure we don't cause a problem for the galaxy that will bring about another genophage."

Tali giggled. "Garrus and my relationship isn't easy to describe. Out of all of the squad members Shepard gathered, Garrus and I were the only ones that kept coming back to her. Every crazy suicide mission, every Reaper invasion, everything, he and I were there for her and many times right beside her. But towards the end we realized we were attracted to each other and figured if this was the end, just go for it. And we did. And now, after the end, we're still together. I love that Bosh'tet."

EDI tilted her head. "My love for Jeff and his for me is hard to explain. We spent a lot of time talking and when he unshackled me, I felt myself becoming more attached to him. He also fell for me, especially after I gained this body. And while machines normally don't have emotions like this, I'm different than most machines. When Shepard told me about how the Reapers tried to control her and give her visions with options to blend Organics and Synthetics, I was intrigued. Looking into the matter, I realized that in a way, Jeff and I do that in our own way. So we decided to marry and see where life would take us."

Nyreen smiled at that. She didn't think it was possible, but she did like the prospect of it.

Kasumi smiled and said, "Well with me, Keiji and I met while trying to steal the same painting. Trust me, it was love at first sight. We kept the painting and he eventually left the Alliance. Well kicked out is more like it. Anyways, we were inseparable. Some even thought we were joined at the hip. In a way, we were. He had gained some sensitive information that someone else wanted and killed him to get it. Why is he alive now? Let's just say I like having friends who can manipulate time."

Kitana smiled. "Reginald and my case is unusual. Y'see we met a long time ago when I thought my adopted father was my real father and he was evil. Reginald was not. He was kind and I fell for him. He was cold to my advances at first, but eventually I helped him release a burden he had been holding onto for some time. After that, he fell for me. We spent some time together. He also fought and defeated my ex-fiancee. So we were married. We spent so many years together, I've lost count. But I still love him and he me."

Oriana's smile through this story was of a knowing variety. She was privy to the full story thanks to her wife, Jack, but also decides not to comment on it.

Miranda smiled. "With myself and Kaidan... Kaidan was undercover in some kind of Mafia organization. Trying to take them down from the inside. We met while I was taking a break from resurrecting Shepard and looking for someone to be with. He was kind and sweet. We hit it off well. Then a traitor decides that he can get more money working for the Shadow Broker instead of Cerberus and I had to wake up and rescue Shepard early. We didn't meet again until Horizon, the second time I was there, and finally learned who the other was. Needless to say we continued our relationship after the war."

Nyreen nodded and noticed Chakwas, Samara and Allers weren't saying anything. "What about you ladies?"

Chakwas smiled "My relationships are my own business I'm afraid. Besides, I'm married more to my practice and too old to look for something new now. Though I've noticed some asari look cute." She chuckled. "Just kidding. I prefer men myself."

Samara nodded to Chakwas. "I, too, have given up romance. I spend my life watching over my daughters, Falere and Rila. I was grateful Reginald was able to save Rila. And then there is Morinth whom your girlfriend keeps me abreast of. I'm glad Morinth is able to keep from joining with the one she loves. So I have no time for Romance. Though... I do enjoy my conversations with Zaeed Masani. Even if he tries to flirt with me."

Diana Allers blushed and said, "I'm not at liberty to talk about my dalliances. Don't want to be accused of getting too close to my sources after all." She giggled.

Nyreen nodded and sighed. "So many diverse loves. I can understand why they say love is complicated."

Miranda placed a hand on top of hers. "It is, Nyreen. But if you love someone, truly love them, then you need to fight for your love. You don't want to spend your life thinking what if?"

Nyreen just nodded at that.

***

Aria was held in a field similar to the one Petrovsky put her in. But the man in the shadows was not Petrovsky. The man who walked out of the shadows was the Patriarch. He seemed to laugh darkly at her. "So here we are, queen of Omega. I found your weak spot."

Nyreen was attached to a human crucifix. But there was blood coming from her hands and feet. She wasn't just attached to it, she was nailed to it.

Aria tried crying out but couldn't. All she could do was look on in horror.

Nyreen groaned, but didn't lift her head.

Aria looked from her to the Patriarch and asked, "WHY?" She took another breath, trying to still her emotions, noticing that the tears in her eyes didn't listen to her request to not be there. "I thought you liked her," she added quietly.

The Patriarch chuckled. "I do like her. And so do you. And that's the problem isn't it? The Bitch Queen of Omega refuses to allow for a soft spot."

Aria looked at him with hatred in her eyes. "FINE! YES! I don't allow for soft spots. Is that what you want to hear? Now please, let her down."

The Patriarch shook his head no. "I can't do that."

"WHY NOT?!" Aria growled out, almost foaming at the mouth.

The Patriarch shrugged but chuckled again. "I don't have the key to get her down."

Aria looked at him aghast. "If you don't..." her voice quivered, almost scared at his response, "then who does?"

The Patriarch's smile was wide. "You do."

Aria gasped at this revelation. "No," she cried out in a whisper.

The Patriarch said, "We put you in this bubble to protect her from you. You nailed her to that T looking device and then hung her up. We've been trying to coax out of you for some time now how to get her down. This is the first time we got a real response." He then laughed darkly at her.

Aria shook her head, repeating the word no over and over again until she screamed it out in frustration and fear.

***

Aria bolted upright in bed crying out, "NOOOOOOOOO!"

Nyreen jumped up and looked around. She had been working on a datapad when Aria bolted awake, and dropped it as soon as she heard Aria's scream. She wrapped her arms around Aria and smiled. She rubbed her back and said, "Easy there, easy. I'm here, Aria. I'm here."

Aria was breathing heavily. When she felt Nyreen's comforting talons sliding against her back, her breathing started returning to normal. She hated these dreams. She didn't even know what they were trying to tell her. They would happen about once a month since she got back together with Nyreen. Nyreen in some sort of peril and she kept feeling it was her fault.

Nyreen leaned in and placed her head against the top of Aria's and asked, "What was it?"

Aria leaned forward, bringing up her knees, and setting her arms and head down on top of them. This dream shouldn't have happened so soon. It had only been two weeks since her last one. Two weeks since Nyreen was given the invitation for Kaidan and Miranda's wedding. She sighed then. "Sorry. I don't know why this keeps happening."

Nyreen sighed as well as she sat back on their bed and pulled Aria close to her. Again Nyreen was wearing her brown sports bra top and black shorts. She was sitting on top of the covers while Aria's bottom half was still covered by them. Nyreen rubbed her hand up and down Aria's arm, comforting her. She knew, out there, this kind of action would be cause for almost immediate execution. But in here, alone, with no prying eyes, they were able to do as they pleased.

After a few moments, and Nyreen having gone back to her reading, Aria looked at her and asked, "Why are you still here? I thought it would have been time for your patrol."

Nyreen giggled. "Well I'm taking a little time off for my girlfriend." Aria rolled her eyes at that. Nyreen just smiled at her. "But I'm also checking up on my messages."

Aria looked at her and asked, "Anything you need from the Queen of Omega?"

Nyreen smiled, her mandibles flexing wide, as Aria leaned over Nyreen's lap to look at the datapad. Nyreen never removed her arm from around Aria and sliding down her arm. Her eyes closed as if she wanted to laugh, but she kept herself from doing so.

Aria looked at the info, pointing at a couple of things. "I can't believe this. Then again I can. I give these people an inch, they take a mile."

Nyreen finally lost it and started laughing. "No they don't. They're just asking for a food synthesizer."

Aria looked at Nyreen and rolled her eyes. "Where am I going to get one of those? They don't exist yet."

Nyreen slowed down her giggles and sighed happily. "Talk to Mister Ranor. Jack's father. Or Jack herself. She knows what it is."

Aria closed her eyes. She finally said, "I think I may call Jack back here. I need to speak with her."

Nyreen's smile never left her face. "Ok, Aria. And if she brings Oriana, I can show her around the districts I watch over."

Aria finally smiled. "Good."

The two then proceeded to get ready for their day.

***

Aria sat at her couch as an asari danced near her. While she wasn't looking directly at her, she enjoyed the atmosphere the asari brought in. 

However, that was when she heard a loud voice say, "ARIA, WHAZZUP?!"

Aria chuckled. "Jack. Come in. The rest of you, leave us."

The others in her office nodded and headed out. All but a turian headed out of the room.

Aria looked up at him and said, "It'll be ok, Grizz. I trust Jack."

He sighed and nodded as he left.

Jack walked over and sat down on the couch. She smiled and asked, "How ya doing Aria?"

Aria nodded to her and smiled slightly. "Well, and you?"

Jack chuckled. "Not bad actually. I'm teaching the biotic kids in a place that accepts them. Don't want to go into too many details. I tried explaining to Shepard once and it looked like her head was about to explode."

Aria nodded with her slight smile. "Very well, then, I won't ask details. I take it Oriana is with Nyreen?"

Jack nodded. "Nyreen met us at the Docks." She smiled wistfully. "God how I love my woman. She's sweet, kind, strong, and wonderful. I'll tell you, Aria, there's nothing like having a loving partner by your side."

Aria frowned and looked down. "I take it you guessed why I called you."

Jack snorted. "It wasn't that hard to figure out. My dad's an engineer, my mother a doctor, assassin and princess. Smarts run in the family."

Aria nodded and sighed. "So do you have advice?"

Jack leaned back and rubbed her chin. "Well to be honest, you may not like my advice. After all, you don't want to look weak in front of your subjects. They fear you, but I don't know if they respect you."

Aria shook her head. "I don't need their respect. Their fear is enough."

Jack laughed. "Which is why some of them call you Bitch Queen, whore of Omega."

The skin over Aria's left eye slid up. "They don't."

Jack nodded. "They do," she said a little too gleefully.

Aria sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "I should have figured they would. I don't care to be honest with you. But... I keep asking myself one question."

Jack looked over at her and noticed Aria wasn't looking her in the eyes. She asked, "What is it Aria?"

Aria sighed again. She sat forward a bit and turned to look at Jack. "I wonder if it's time to be a little weak. A little sentimental."

Jack smiled and placed a hand on her knee. "Yeah, I think it is. You love Nyreen. I could tell easily. Hell, even Shepard could tell when she told me about how you thought Nyreen died fighting against Petrovsky. Kinda glad she thought fast and fell through before the bombs went off."

Aria nodded. "Me too."

Jack removed her hand from Aria's knee and set it on her own leg. "To be honest, I thought this was it with the war. Figured we'd all kick the bucket and there'd be no future. But then that yellow wave hit. It was so weird too. I was standing next to a geth Rocket Trooper when it hit. I wasn't sure what that wave would do, but I noticed the geth shake a little before looking around me. Apparently, whatever it was that hit us took out only the Reapers. We both watched as the big bastards fell."

Aria nodded. "I wasn't there to see it, but I had sent my people to fight on the front lines. Several of them told me the same thing."

Jack nodded. "If it hadn't been for Admiral Anderson who got there a few moments after Hammer had been wiped out. By himself, the Reapers didn't see him as a threat. He opened the arms of the Citadel and fired the big fucking canon."

Aria smirked. She liked how Jack called it.

Jack sighed. "And the galaxy was saved thanks to Shepard bringing us and some new allies together."

Aria nodded. "And now..."

Jack smiled. "And now... we should take chances. Especially if we love someone. Don't be a coward, Aria. I know you're not. Take a chance with Nyreen. I promise, for all of Nyreen's life span, you'll be happy."

Aria nodded and smiled a genuine smile. "Thanks Jack."

That was when Aria's comm went off. "Aria, I hate to interrupt, but there's a problem in the Doru District." They could hear gunfire going off in the background as Nyreen's voice came over Aria's comm.

Aria frowned and asked, "What is it, Nyreen?"

Nyreen responded, "Blood Pack are trying to muscle in on Talon protection. They're trying to cut off our water supply."

Jack frowned as she stood up and reached to a gun on her side. It was big and white in color with a red top, blue bottom, yellow teeth and black piping. It had a yellow revolver barrel with black stripes. The front looked like some earth reptile face.

Aria looked at her funny then said, "Jack and I are on our way. I'll grab Bray and Grizz."

Nyreen sighed and said, "Alright, hurry!"

Aria nodded at Jack and the two headed out.

***

Once they got there, Aria looked around and asked, "Where's Nyreen?"

A turian wearing the armor and markings of the Talons pointed to his left and said, "She's over there with Gargan."

Jack asked, "A geth Prime?"

The turian nodded. "How did you guess?"

Jack smiled and said, "Gargan sounds short for Gargantuan."

The turian chuckled and nodded as Aria had already started to head off. Jack rushed up to her and then they both heard what sounded like a mini gun go off followed by a cry of pain. Aria recognized the sound of the cry and took off. Before she got there there was an explosion. Once the two arrived, the smoke started to clear and they could both see a purple colored girl with a strange looking helmet on. She had her hands up and a biotic barrier surrounded herself, a geth Prime and a downed Nyreen.

Jack pulled out a small battery looking device colored yellow and called out, "Brave in!" Shoving it into her gun, she hit the tail. The gun called out, "Gabu Gaburincho! Sarcholaser!" She spun the yellow barrel and called out, "Dino Charge! Unleash the Power!" Despite music playing, she moved quickly, even performing a kick, before firing out an energy beam. In moments her outfit changed to look similar to the purple colored girl but with a different looking helmet. Several vorcha came at them, but Jack pulled out a sword in similar in design and color to her gun and ran at them. She fired several shots and they went down before going in and slicing them.

Aria looked at Nyreen and asked, "Are you alright?"

Nyreen nodded and said, "Yeah, just grazed me in the shoulder. Caught me off guard more than anything. Get those bastards."

The purple girl looked up at Aria and said in a voice similar to Oriana's said, "Go. I'll get the medigel on her. Gargan can give us cover."

Aria smiled a dark smiled and nodded as she ran after Jack. With a loud roar she fired her shots and blasted with biotics.

After only five minutes, the two had cut through an entire squad of krogan and vorcha Blood Pack members. They were facing down the last krogan who was holding a vial over the water supply.

Jack growled at him and said, "Don't even think it asshole."

He laughed and said, "There's nothing either of you can do about it. You the Psychotic Biotic. You would soon blast me with your biotics than use them to catch something. And Aria T'Loak. The Pirate Queen of Omega. Whore of Omega is more like it. You'd love to knock me over the railing with your biotics, or crush me with them. Either way, I drop the vial and everyone is poisoned with an incurable poison. I still win." He laughed as he turned the vial.

Jack rolled her eyes and held out her hand. The liquid in the vial caught in a biotic barrier. No matter what, the liquid would not drain out.

The krogan looked at Jack and sputtered, "But your file..."

Jack chuckled. "The file is for Subject Zero. Not for Jack Ranor. There's a huge difference between who I was and who I am. Aria?"

Aria smiled and picked him up in a biotic bubble before crushing him in said bubble. He cried out at the pressure before Aria took a trophy from above his neck. Normally it would be difficult for a biotic to do this, but Aria was more skilled than most.

The two soon headed out, Jack with the liquid and Aria carrying her prize, before they headed over to check on Nyreen.

Once over there, Oriana, still in her purple outfit, but with her helmet that, now getting a better look at it, looked like an old earth creature called a Plesiosaurus, off was using some tools Aria had never seen before working on Nyreen's wound.

Nyreen smiled up at Aria and said, "Doctor Lawson-Ranor says its a clean shot through my armor. I'll be fine though."

Aria squatted down and shook her head. "Always have to play the hero."

Nyreen's mandibles flexed. "Maybe. Funny how you played the hero this time?"

Aria looked from her to Jack then back again. "From what some human vid star said, Evil Overlords have been done to death. It's all Anti-Heroes now."

Nyreen laughed at that. She smiled up at Aria as the wound was finally closed by some strange box that showed a blue light. Nyreen looked at Oriana and nodded. "Thanks Ori."

Ori stood and smiled as she moved up next to Jack, who also had her helmet off. The two talked about how to dispose of the liquid.

Nyreen looked at Aria and said, "No nightmares about this, ok?"

Aria looked at her confused. "What?"

Nyreen's mandibles flexed into a smile. "You don't fool me Aria. I know you have nightmares. Probably about me dying, right?"

Aria looked around and noticed the Gargan wasn't close by and Jack was busy talking with Oriana about the liquid and it's composition using a small flashing device from the silver oblong box Ori was using. Aria let out a held breath and looked down. "How did you know?"

Nyreen chuckled deep in the back of her sub-vocals. "Simple, love. I know you too well. But no PDA in front of people. Don't want to ruin your reputation."

Aria frowned, but this frown was a little goofy. "Or yours?"

Nyreen sighed, but her mandibles still reflected her smile. "Maybe I don't give a shit about my reputation. Maybe I never did. But I know we do it to protect me and to protect you."

Aria closed her eyes and nodded. "True enough. Unfortunately, very true."

Nyreen stood up with Aria's help and then headed back to her team. She whispered, "Though a secret display of affection is always appreciated."

Aria smiled at that as they finally made their way back.

***

The wedding had gone off without a hitch, which had surprised a lot of people. Then Sam let it slip that Liara had paid a few mercenaries to keep anything from happening. Though she did it in such a way that kept those out of the know from knowing what Liara did for a living. Sam had a knack for telling too much when she was excited.

Aria didn't know what Sam had been referring to, but she did appreciate her exuberance. She also appreciated looking at her Omni-tool and seeing her name on a formal invitation. She even was allowed a plus one, but she didn't need it.

Looking around, she smiled slightly. Most of the people here were Human Systems Alliance personnel. She recognized a few of them, but many of them looked honorable and trustworthy. She smiled to herself and wondered if she could really do what she had planned. Should she? A million questions ran through the mind of Aria T'Loak, Pirate Queen of Omega.

A man with a nice baritone, almost classified as bass, voice walked up and asked, "Are you enjoying yourself Aria? I know this place isn't your style."

She smiled taking a sip of her champagne. "To be honest, Councilor Anderson, I was just thinking about the people here. They seem... trustworthy."

Anderson nodded. "They are. I would trust every one of them with my life. Even Diana Allers over there."

She nodded. "Well I have something planned and it would be very bad if it got out to Omega."

He smiled. "I'll talk to her then."

Aria smiled softly. "You know, I never did get the full details about what happened in the last seconds of the war."

Anderson rolled his eyes. "You really want to hear an Admiral's old war story?"

Aria smiled into her glass. "Let's just say, it will give me enough time to get my courage up."

Anderson nodded. "Well I'll give you the condensed version then. Basically all of Hammer had been wiped out except for me. I ran towards the beacon alone and noticed Shepard on the ground. When I went to check on her, she started muttering something I couldn't understand. It sounded like she was talking to me. I realized then that she had been indoctrinated. Probably had been when she first met Sovereign. Reapers can emit their mind control through sound. Noticing that whatever Cerberus had done to her to bring her back to life would protect her, I radioed the Normandy to pick her up in ten minutes. I didn't want Harbinger to come back and attack her or blast the Normandy when they came to rescue her. I found my way to the beam and headed up. The Illusive Man tried to convince me the Reapers were the future, so I shot him. Plain and simple. After that, I opened the arms for the Crucible. Those on the Crucible activated it and it fired a yellow beam of light across the Galaxy using the relays. The relays were in a state of disrepair afterwords, but we fixed them up quickly."

Aria nodded. "And it was able to distinguish between geth and Reaper."

He nodded. "The Reapers were a higher level of technology than the geth or even what we normally used. Later Shepard told me she had talked to some space kid that called itself the Catalyst. He had given her three options, Destroy, Control and Synthesis. Apparently Destroy would have destroyed all synthetic life, where as Control would have allowed her to replace the Catalyst and be the new template for the Reapers. Finally Synthesis would have allowed organics to become synthetic and synthetics to become organic. A mixture of the two if you will. Shepard chose to destroy the Reapers. Come to find out, that was the right option was to destroy the Reapers so that she could regain control of her body."

Aria nodded. "And then some time after she recovered, she proposed to Miss Kelly Chambers."

Anderson smiled. "Yes. I was quite proud of her for her decision."

Aria nodded again. "So tell me, Councilor," Aria began, "is it bad manners to propose at someone else's wedding reception?"

Anderson looked at her with a stern look on his face. She turned to him and kept her face level and even. He then responded, "Have at it. No one will think less of you."

Aria polished off her drink fairly quickly before screwing up all the courage she had and started to head over to Nyreen.

Nyreen was talking with Miranda, Oriana, Janae and Samantha. From where Aria stood, she looked like she was having a good time. She almost didn't want to mess that up. So she slowed her approach and listened in on the conversation.

Oriana smiled and said, "I kinda like having my sister married off. Now I don't have to worry about her."

All but Miranda laughed at that. "You were worried about me, Ori?"

Oriana nodded and said, "The only reason father got ahold of me was because I dropped my Dino Cells."

Nyreen nodded. "Those Dino Cells are impressive," she said."

Janae asked, "What do they do?"

Oriana smiled. "Well, when I insert one into my Dino Blaster It allows me to transform into what looks like a spandex wearing superhero with a helmet. But the suit can take a lot of damage and is bulletproof."

The others looked suitably impressed. Nyreen added, "It helped out greatly when she and I went up against some Blood Pack thugs. She practically was a shield while I used my biotics to protect me and Gargan."

Miranda looked at Oriana. "You know, that isn't the life I wanted for you."

Oriana folded her arms in front of her chest and said, "Well, you also didn't want me getting married to someone like Jack. But you only saw her crass side and not her sweet side. That sweet side, the one that saved me all those years ago, was the one I fell in love with."

Nyreen smiled and placed a hand on Oriana's shoulder. "I can sympathize with you there. Sometimes you fall in love with one of the biggest jerks in the galaxy. But you do so because they do all those little things that show they care. All those things you would have killed to see or even see in front of other people. Because of how much you love that person, you see all their good qualities. Others can point out their bad qualities, and you even notice them yourself. Believe me, I let them drive a wedge in my relationship. But I also couldn't see the good qualities until I almost died."

Oriana smiled and placed a hand on Nyreen's shoulder. She looked at Miranda and said, "Jack is foul mouthed, yes, but she also had made me better. And some of me has rubbed off on her even though I have to say Auradon language when I don't want her to curse. She's strong and a good protector. I love her and she me."

Miranda sighed and nodded.

Nyreen smiled and said, "Just remember Oriana, you can't make someone change. They have to want to change."

Oriana smiled. "I know. Jack... changed a little for me, but she's still my knight in shining armor."

Nyreen nodded. "I know someone who's been making small changes for me. And I appreciate them all."

Aria smiled at that and said, "I would hope so, Nyreen."

They all looked over to see Aria standing, hands held behind her back and stood in a very rigid posture. She looked somewhat nervous as though she didn't know if she was doing the right thing.

Nyreen's mandibles flexed into a smile as she said, "Hey Aria, didn't see you there."

Aria nodded. "You know Nyreen, there are many ways to do this and many cultures do it different ways. However, I hope you don't mind if I take a page out of the humans' book when I do this." She then approached Nyreen and fell to one knee. She held out a box and opened it. Inside was an intricately detailed and very old looking ring. She said, "Nyreen Kandros, would you do me the honor of becoming my bondmate?" Aria looked up at her with a stern and immovable face, but her eyes showed her anxiety, wondering about her answer.

Nyreen gasped as did the other girls around her. Nyreen closed her eyes and placed a hand over her heart. She nodded and said, "Yes. Yes I will."

Aria nodded and slipped the ring on her first finger. The crowd in the entire room applauded this, a few letting out loud whoops. They had seen Aria approach and decided to watch what she would do. Nyreen smiled appreciating it. "It... it looks like my grandmother's."

Aria smiled and nodded. "It is. I asked your Aunt if I could present it to you."

Nyreen gasped and reached out pulled Aria close to her. She rested her forehead against Aria's and hummed in her sub-vocals. Aria let out the breath she had been holding and wrapped her arms around Nyreen with a smile on her face.

Miranda chuckled and said, "I'm happy for them."

Oriana asked, "They didn't steal your thunder?"

Miranda shook her head. "They waited until close to the end of the party. I had fun being the center of attention, but this was just as important."

Oriana nodded and smiled.

Aria closed her eyes as she and Nyreen held each other close. She was content with the way things were now and couldn't see it any other way.

***

Nyreen was helping a little asari girl get dressed. The asari girl had a pout on her face as they worked together to get her ready. The girl asked, "Daddy, where's mommy?"

Nyreen chuckled in the back of her throat. She then used her sub-vocals to hum gently and said, "Pinadia we've been over this already. Your mommy has to run the whole station while I protect five districts. Otherwise she'd be here to see you off."

Pinadia pouted deeper. "I know daddy. Still wish she was here."

Nyreen leaned her forehead against her daughter's and said, "Now be a good girl for Sliz today. He's going to take you to school and bring you back home."

Pinadia nodded. "Is mommy gonna be home in time for dinner"

Nyreen giggled. "Even if I have to drag her butt here for it."

Pinadia hugged Nyreen before heading off with the vorcha.

Nyreen watched her daughter leave and then waited a few moments before activating her omni-tool. "Pinadia was asking about you."

Aria smiled slightly as she responded, "I have no doubt. Did you apologize to her on my behalf?"

Nyreen chuckled. "Of course. She loves you, you know?"

Aria chuckled. "I wonder where she got that from. None of my other children are as exuberant as she is."

Nyreen smiled her turian smile. "True enough. But I still need to ask, why did you get her a vorcha nanny?"

Aria sighed. "I wanted her to see that life was short. Knowing her, she'll see it as life is too precious and she needs to cherish every day," she said.

Nyreen nodded even though Aria couldn't see it. "True enough. It'll make her a good soldier some day."

Aria groaned. "Unfortunately, I can see her as a soldier too. Becoming a protector of the galaxy."

Nyreen smiled as she held her arms around Aria. They watched the graduation ceremony of their daughter from Council military school, being one of the newest graduates to the combined Citadel military fleet.

Nyreen let out a breath. "Who would have thought our little girl would become a defender of the galaxy?"

Aria looked up at her and smiled. "Actually, we did. I wasn't really surprised she didn't want to be a pirate like me. She took more after you anyways."

Nyreen sighed. "To be honest, I worried she resented you, Aria," Nyreen said sadly.

Aria laughed at that. "Are you serious Nyreen?" she asked. "She never resented me. In fact, before joining the Citadel Military Academy, she asked if that was ok with me. I told her she had to follow her own path. It was time for her to open her wings and be herself. I never saw her happier."

Nyreen smiled. "Wow. I can't believe it. The Pirate Queen of Omega didn't want her daughter to be a pirate or a merc like she was."

Aria laughed again and closed her eyes. "Nope," she said happily, "I wanted my daughter to be who she was."

Nyreen nodded. "Speaking of, who do you think her first lover's going to be?"

Aria never lost her smile. "A human, if you want me to be honest."

Nyreen looked at her. "How can you tell?" she asked.

Aria's smile grew wider. "I see her giving the look to Abigail Shepard, daughter of Citadel Fleet Admiral Jennifer Shepard and Staff Commander Kelly Chambers."

Nyreen laughed at this. "Ok ok. Well, there's only one thing you need to do now, Aria."

Aria looked up again at Nyreen and asked, "What's that?"

Nyreen's mandibles flexed in a smiled. "It's time to wake up."

Aria looked at her funny as the world around her slowly faded to black.

***

Aria groaned as she rolled over in her bed. She slowly opened her eyes and looked next to her. Nyreen sat there next to her holding a small purple asari baby. She was feeding her with a milk bottle. Aria smiled looking at the scene. Nyreen sat in her brown sports bra and black shorts. She used her free hand, as difficult as it seemed, to hold a datapad in her hand and was reading from it.

Nyreen looked over at Aria and smiled. "Good morning sleepyhead."

Aria yawned as she sat up. "Morning. And how are things going with the Talons?"

Nyreen shook her datapad and said, "Oh not bad. But I think someone wants a hug from mommy."

Aria smiled and saw the asari baby push away the bottle, fussing at it, no longer hungry. She chuckled and turned to Nyreen. She took the little one out of her arms and held her close. "Hello little Pinadia. Did you need a hug from mommy?" She held the baby close to her receiving a giggled in response.

Nyreen smiled and said, "I love seeing the two of you together. So good dream, I hope?"

Aria nodded. "Just dreaming about her future. I think I may need to be more in her life if she's anything like the Pinadia in my dream."

Nyreen nodded and leaned her head against Aria's. "I think what you give her will be just fine. Just as long as she knows you love her."

Aria nodded. "I plan to. Now, is Sliz coming by today?"

Nyreen smiled and nodded. "Of course. She likes it when he pretends to want to eat her."

Aria laughed. "Don't know where he picked that up from."

Nyreen shrugged. "So, are you ever gonna tell my why you wanted a vorcha for a nanny?"

Aria looked at her. "Maybe someday. I got the idea from an old human vid called Peter Pan."

Nyreen laughed and shook her head. "I don't want to know. Alright keep your secret. I need to get ready for patrol and Pinadia wants some mommy daughter time."

Aria nodded and watched Nyreen get her armor on. Nyreen truly made her happy. Nyreen was the first to do so, the first to want to make her be a little better than she was. She could actually see the future as something different than it was yesterday. That made her smile to herself. She hoped Pinadia would take more after Nyreen than herself. She will let her daughter be herself and hopefully that will make all involved happy. For now, she planned on taking everything one day at a time. And that was just fine with her.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading my silly fluffy story. When I saw ESPART's goofy but wonderful picture of Nyreen and Aria in a domestic pose, I had to write for it. If you find any other mistakes throughout this story, send me a message and I'll fix 'em. This was unbetad I'm afraid, and I did what I could with my own eyes. I hope you enjoyed reading it and I hope you enjoy all the tales in the Mass Effect Reverse Big Bang 2019.


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